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How many current players will be "legends"?

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Simple enough question. Football has many stars but few bonafide legends To name a few, Jack O'Shea, Brian Mullins,, Matt Connor, Sean O'Neill, Sean Purcell, Liam Sammon, Pat Spillane, Jimmy Keaveney, Canavan etc etc etc How many of the current crop will achieve that level of legend? For me Tomas tho just retired is already there. Gooch also. I think Stephen Cluxton is a shoo in also and Bernard Brogan. Sean Cavanagh is another. Michael Murphy should and still might but he needs to reignite that flame Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 05/08/2016 16:03:32 1896302 Link
Conor McManus GameOfTyrones (Tyrone) - Posts: 469 - 05/08/2016 16:23:50 1896308 Link
Diarmuid Connelly Not many other contenders really. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4250 - 05/08/2016 16:27:10 1896311 Link
One player in Donegal who definitely will is Karl Lacey. 4 time All-Star and FOTY. Karl was snuffing out the best corner forwards in Ireland long before blanket defenses became en vogue. Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9196 - 05/08/2016 16:29:27 1896313 Link
Maurice Fitzgerald is already a legend! It's very subjective. Seamus Moynihan, Dara O'Se and Graham Canty all won lots of medals and wouldn't look out of place alongside the players you've already mentioned. Ciaran McDonald was also a favourite of mine, absolutely class but legend? Not so sure, it depends on the definition. You've a lot of local legends that mightn't come to mind immediately but were incredible and will never be forgotten within their own counties, Joyce in Galway, Forde in Wexford, Browne in Tipp. Donaghy in Kerry. Redmond and Curran from the Dublin 95 team, you could go on all day, that's just off the top of my head. GeniusGerry (Kerry) - Posts: 2105 - 05/08/2016 16:32:13 1896315 Link
Paul Flynn? Shefflin in hurling. Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 05/08/2016 16:39:46 1896320 Link
If you go with Cluxton, Brogan, Connelly, McManus, Cavanagh you're already up to 5. You start adding too many more I think the word loses its meaning. Conor McManus even would be dubious for me also. Top player and all but is he a legend! In the past Trevor Giles, Anthony Tohill, McGeeney and Maurice Fitzgerald would be players in my lifetime that might have good shouts. Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4250 - 05/08/2016 17:01:50 1896335 Link
Is Connolly in that category? Cluxton and Brogan I agree for sure but not Connolly for me. Super skilful player but doesn't influence games the way a real top player does, and goes missing quite a lot. Dublin have three recent all Ireland's and I reckon they'd still have three if he wasn't around. No way you'd say that about the other two. Just my two cents. GeniusGerry (Kerry) - Posts: 2105 - 05/08/2016 17:48:59 1896348 Link
Great player or legend massive difference , what makes a legend equally is subjective , along with obvious talent maybe being remembered and associated for one act helps , stand up S Cluxton above all Dublin footballers of last ten years Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 05/08/2016 17:56:36 1896351 Link
Cluxton. ...The only player still playing that changed the importance of one position. Genius...as to Connolly I think you are a wee bid blind. Every big game he has been enormous. Look at the last 10 minutes of the 2011 final how many balls he held up to lay off to a.passing runner while shipping tactles. All the way through to last year's semi-final when he took a free off his left foot under the Cusack Stand at the most crucial moment of the Semi. He is/was a head banger plus been a Dub he will be marked down for that. witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 05/08/2016 18:09:44 1896357 Link
I would definitely include McManus. He's probably the best forward in the game right now playing against the toughest defences in the country. He's the definition of a talisman for Monaghan. They would be much poorer without him. If he was playing for a Dublin or Kerry he'd probably have an All-Ireland medal already and there'd be absolutely no doubt about calling him a future legend of the game. I'd have my doubts about Diarmuid Connolly though. Very talented player, nice to watch, but I don't think he's a driving force behind Dublin's dominance. He has often been anonymous in big matches and though he might have moments of brilliance, I wouldn't see him as the kind of influential figure that is key to winning big matches. From the Dublin set-up, Cluxton is without doubt the bonafide legend that they have at the moment. He's probably the best keeper of al time and one of the most influential players in the game currently. That teams often have to set up to deal with his impact on a match tells you all you need to know. Put it this way, I think Dublin can function perfectly fine without Diarmuid Connolly playing particularly well or even playing at all, but I don't think they function as well if Cluxton isn't there or has one of his melt downs. ZeitChrist (UK) - Posts: 154 - 05/08/2016 18:12:44 1896359 Link
Replying To witnof: "Cluxton. ...The only player still playing that changed the importance of one position. Genius...as to Connolly I think you are a wee bid blind. Every big game he has been enormous. Look at the last 10 minutes of the 2011 final how many balls he held up to lay off to a.passing runner while shipping tactles. All the way through to last year's semi-final when he took a free off his left foot under the Cusack Stand at the most crucial moment of the Semi. He is/was a head banger plus been a Dub he will be marked down for that." Fair enough. I just don't see it that way. He is all about moments, the odd flash of brilliance and a couple of minutes here and there where he can be influential and look amazing. The lads in RTE seem to have a major boner for him and will pick out clips showing his skill and giving him MOTM awards while ignoring the fact the he had almost no influence on the result. Nobody is saying he is not a good footballer, but the thread is talking about putting him up there alonside some of the best players ever, he is nowhere near that level for me and it's nothing to do with being a headbanger or whatever. Compare him to Maurice Fitzgerald who won an AI on his own in 97, could you ever see Connolly doing that? GeniusGerry (Kerry) - Posts: 2105 - 05/08/2016 18:37:46 1896369 Link
Genius if one player can win an All-Ireland it was an easy All-Ireland so shouldn't be worth anything. Correct? As to Connolly not been legend I can agree. The claim is he shines only when Dublin win....bit like the Gooch witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 05/08/2016 18:46:53 1896374 Link
Replying To GeniusGerry: "Fair enough. I just don't see it that way. He is all about moments, the odd flash of brilliance and a couple of minutes here and there where he can be influential and look amazing. The lads in RTE seem to have a major boner for him and will pick out clips showing his skill and giving him MOTM awards while ignoring the fact the he had almost no influence on the result. Nobody is saying he is not a good footballer, but the thread is talking about putting him up there alonside some of the best players ever, he is nowhere near that level for me and it's nothing to do with being a headbanger or whatever. Compare him to Maurice Fitzgerald who won an AI on his own in 97, could you ever see Connolly doing that?" Actually I could see Diarmuid doing just that and in fairness pretty much has done that at club level for his club St Vincent's when he scored 2-05(I think?) to win the club all Ireland in 2014. He's a top class player,yez could argue all day about lists of legends in fairness. Also guys from the 50's and 60,s were simply not as good as today's elite players and that's a fact. seanie_boy (Tyrone) - Posts: 4235 - 05/08/2016 18:50:33 1896377 Link
Replying To witnof: "Genius if one player can win an All-Ireland it was an easy All-Ireland so shouldn't be worth anything. Correct? As to Connolly not been legend I can agree. The claim is he shines only when Dublin win....bit like the Gooch" Absolutely correct, sure we only win the 'soft' ones down here. Anyway don't want to be harping on about it, but for me that's the kind of level you need to be operating at to be a bone fide legend. He ain't nowhere near IMO. I don't care what he's done at club level. GeniusGerry (Kerry) - Posts: 2105 - 05/08/2016 19:02:55 1896382 Link
A recently retired legend who has never received enough attention was Declan O Sullivan, the engine of the great Kerry team last decade to me. The man could do it all and did do it all on many an occasion. Sorry if it's off topic but I hear far too much Gooch and Donaghy and no where near enough Declan O Sullivan Seansy48 (Tyrone) - Posts: 237 - 05/08/2016 19:50:51 1896399 Link
Replying To seanie_boy: "Actually I could see Diarmuid doing just that and in fairness pretty much has done that at club level for his club St Vincent's when he scored 2-05(I think?) to win the club all Ireland in 2014. He's a top class player,yez could argue all day about lists of legends in fairness. Also guys from the 50's and 60,s were simply not as good as today's elite players and that's a fact." Don't think you can take club form into account as you're often playing against players who wouldn't be county standard. To me Brogan and Cluxton are far and away the most influential players for the Dubs. Gooch, goes without saying, Sean Kavanagh and Michael Murphy if Donegal win another All Ireland in his time. Players who consistently influence the outcome of games at the highest level. Llaw_Gyffes (Mayo) - Posts: 1113 - 05/08/2016 20:53:33 1896413 Link
Replying To Llaw_Gyffes: "Don't think you can take club form into account as you're often playing against players who wouldn't be county standard. To me Brogan and Cluxton are far and away the most influential players for the Dubs. Gooch, goes without saying, Sean Kavanagh and Michael Murphy if Donegal win another All Ireland in his time. Players who consistently influence the outcome of games at the highest level." I think club form at that level is on a par with at least half the county teams in the country to be fair. The likes of st Vincent's and Castle Bar,St brigids, Crossmaglen and other top club teams could beat half the county teams in the country. seanie_boy (Tyrone) - Posts: 4235 - 05/08/2016 21:20:06 1896423 Link
Some people are not getting this. I am not talking great i am talking LEGENDS. Connolly McManus Dec Sull Stevie Mc Paul Flynn Paul Galvin, these lads are greats byt not legends. Very very few gain legendary status. For example charlie nelligan and paddy cullen were greats but not legends like o shea and mullins. Current legends in making are gooch cluxton brogan and sean cav Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 05/08/2016 21:56:05 1896442 Link
Replying To Seansy48: "A recently retired legend who has never received enough attention was Declan O Sullivan, the engine of the great Kerry team last decade to me. The man could do it all and did do it all on many an occasion. Sorry if it's off topic but I hear far too much Gooch and Donaghy and no where near enough Declan O Sullivan" Another player who is not long retired and who should certainly be considered a legend I feel, is a man from you own county, the great Brian Dooher. I used to love watching him, the effort and drive he put into every game he played was class. He was a real driving force and inspiration to his team mates and led them to win All Irelands. Definitely a legend in my eyes. Peter Canavan deserves a mention to. Sean Cav is well on his way to becoming a legend. Brogan, Lacey, Gooch, the O Se brothers, Cluxton also. Perhaps if Mayo had ever gotten over the line the Alan Dillon may have been considered to. Douglas_Hyde (Roscommon) - Posts: 90 - 05/08/2016 22:56:45 1896464 Link